A Fox's Kiss: Love From Afar
by SiriousB1
Summary: *COMPLETE* She was girl with many problems. One in particular was love. But, when she gets his attention, her life is put into jepardy. Who is she and how does she know about the Rekai Tenkai? Kurama/OC It's better than it sounds!
1. Watching

A/N: Thank you to Lacrosse Demine who prompted me to write this story to go along with the poem. Thanks!  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the YYH characters (though I wish I did), but I do own the poem and the main character (despite the fact that I don't even know her name yet ^_^). No taking without permission.  
  
A Fox's Kiss: Love From Afar  
  
Chapter 1: Watching  
  
I can't help but love him   
As I watch him from afar  
My heart strikes an endless hymn  
And if he'd love me I'd never ask for more  
****  
  
I got up early today. Like I always do. Like any ordinary day. But there is something that I can't place. Some alien feeling that has invaded the sweet morning air. Some premonition of a danger that is growing slowly inside my heart.  
  
What could it be?  
  
I shrugged off the intruder and took a cold shower. Just the right kind to get you ready for a long day at school; the kind that wakes you up just right. Like I always do. Like any ordinary day. But there is something that isn't right. Some strange idea that enters your mind when you least expect it to. Some fearful precaution that won't leave you alone no matter how hard you try to ignore it.   
  
Why can't I figure it out?  
  
I walked cautiously down the stairs; my rucksack full of schoolbooks slung over one shoulder. As I tiptoed across the living room towards the kitchen, I paused and looked at my father who lies asleep on the couch under a small, stained blanket. Beer cans surround him on the couch and the floor. The television ran blue from a finished movie watched the night before. Like it always is. Like any ordinary day. But the sense returns. Like a violation of the law that was never tried in court. Like a stalker that follows you wherever you go.   
  
It scares me.  
  
I enter the kitchen and open the smallest drawer: on the left of the sink, but away from the blender. I pull out a small box, a First-Aid Kit, mind. I roll up the sleeve of my sweater and dress the bruise that seems like a sign in the middle of my pale forearm. A sign that reads, "I am an outcast. I am different from you, and I lead a different life. I am worthless. I am weak."   
  
Just like always. Just like any ordinary day. That is my life.   
  
I exit my house and trudge down the sidewalk towards my school. As I snack on an apple, I glance around at the familiar surroundings. The large houses, the blooming gardens, the happy, rich families. And my rich, unhappy family. My blooming garden and my father's neglected one. The streets blooming families and my neglected one.  
  
School is the same. I go through my classes easily enough, always the only one to work alone. No one ever bothers me; no one cares. No one wonders why I always wear a sweater instead of a t-shirt on warm days. No one wonders why I never talk. No one wonders why I always eat alone at lunch. No one cares.  
  
But there is one who I wish would.  
  
I can see him now. He's leading a discussion with a group of friends and admirers. Most of them are girls. Girls who are much more beautiful than I am. Gossipy girls who aren't shy and aren't afraid to talk to him. Girls who are all in his fan club. Girls who flirt and laugh with him. Girls who love him. Girls who know nothing about the charming Shuiichi Minamino.  
  
I don't know how I can tell that he is different; I just know. I just know that he isn't normal; isn't human. I can see his energy. It is far too strong to be human. No, not human. He can't be a spirit because they posses no physical shape or form that mortal eyes can see. He must be a demon.  
  
School ends after history. He's in my history class, that Shuiichi. He sits one seat in front of me and to the right; diagonal, if you prefer. He's so close that I could touch him. I could reach out and feel his skin against mine. He might be able to warm up my cold flesh.  
  
But the president of his fan club sits next to him. I dare not even mutter a simple, "Hello," with her around. She displeases him. She never shuts up and constantly tries to pry into his life. But she knows noting. She doesn't even know his real name.  
  
It comes to me bow as I stroll down the deserted hallway. Kurama. Yohko Kurama. That's what they call him. That's what they call the dashing Kitsune whose cold heart was melted when he was reborn onto Earth in a human form. I don't know why I know this. I couldn't ell you if you asked me. The information just falls into my mind as easily and plainly as the intruder did.  
  
Wait. I see him! He is there, in the science room, talking to someone. The door is only cracked, but it is enough. I can see him conversing with a short, dark haired person. And yet, he is not human either, but another demon. Hiei, they call him.  
  
I disguise my energy somehow to make my presence seem invisible and then I put my eye to the crack. It sounds like they are arguing. Kurama's hands are flailing and Hiei glares daggers.   
  
"...they aren't ready," says Hiei coolly.  
  
"But they are!" insists Kurama. "They have had excessive periods of training: Yuusuke with Master Genkai and Kuwabara with us."  
  
Hiei sneered. "So what. Just because they train doesn't mean that they are ready to battle those demons who are to compete in the Dark Tournament. They are only human."  
  
"They beat you."  
  
Hiei turned his head towards the fox with slanted eyes. His lip curled and he clenched his fists.  
  
"Besides," Kurama said, "they have little choice. If they don't enter, this Togouro is bound to kill them without even giving them a chance."  
  
"Hn," Hiei nodded, calmer than he had been. He crossed the room and bounded out of the open window. He was so fast that none of the students who remained chattering on the grounds saw him.  
  
Kurama shook his head slightly and sighed, "Hiei."  
  
It was at that exact moment that my bag dropped from my sweaty palms and onto the floor with a loud CLUNK!   
A/N: Did any of that make any sense? Man, I suck at writing these Drama/Romance stories. I should stick with my advice columns... 


	2. Inquiry With a Beauty

Chapter 2: Inquiry With a Beauty  
  
I love his red hair and his green eyes  
I love every corner of his face  
He's a beautiful demon in disguise  
Just the site of him makes my heart race  
I watch as Kurama's head jerks towards the door. My senses immediately kick in and I grab my bag. I make a dash for the exit, but all for nothing. He may not be Hiei, but he is still fast when he wishes to be.  
  
He stands in front of me now. His eyes are wide and his face set in a dead-straight line. He grabs my shoulders and pain shoots through my body. But I don't scream. I can't show him that bruise, so I stare up into his emerald eyes and hold my breath.  
  
Despite the situation, I can't help but think about his beauty. (A/N: Go figure, huh?) His fair facial complexion, his stunning red hair and his deep eyes. I feel his eyes trying to bore into my mind, but I force him out. I don't want him seeing my thoughts. Someday, maybe. But not yet.  
  
"What did you hear?" he asks, seriously.  
  
A strangled noise comes from my throat, but nothing decipherable. His grip tightens on my shoulder. I feel like my head is about to burst from all the pain.  
  
"Answer me!" Kurama says. He doesn't say it loudly, not at all like a scream, but calmly and coolly. I would rather face my father than lie to him, and I admit that it would have been better if he screamed. Anything but the look in his eye.  
  
So I stare him in the face and mouth the word, "Everything."  
  
He looks around cautiously and leads me into the science room that he had been in earlier. He closes the door and puts a chair under the knob so no one can come in. Then, he takes some paper, black, from a low cabinet from the side of the room and tapes it over the glass on the door so no one can see in. I guess I made him realize how careless he had been acting.  
  
I rub the spot on my shoulder where he had held on to; where the bruise is. It hurts terribly. But I can stand the pain. It's nothing compared to what my father did to me before.  
  
Kurama's gaze once again falls on my face and my heart flutters. It doesn't matter if it is a harsh look or a passionate one; I still love to be caught in it.   
  
"You're in my history class," he says. He recognizes me! "You sit behind that bothersome girl Cassidy. What is your name?"  
  
I stiffen slightly and open my rucksack. "What are you doing?" I hear him ask, but I ignore him for the first time in my life. I pull out a pack of Post-It notes and a pen. He is still staring at me with an eyebrow raised as I scribble on the pad.  
  
I rip off the sheet and walk up to him. I gently place the note in his hand and sit down at one of the lab tables.   
  
He furrows his brow and me for a moment and then reads my note aloud:  
  
" 'My name is Nobara Shigo.' "  
  
He looks as me again and I can sense his suspicion grow. "Why didn't you just tell me your name? Are you a mute?"  
  
I stare down at the notepad and close my eyes. I sigh. I have to tell him sometime; might as well be now.  
  
" 'I am not a mute (he reads). There is nothing wrong with my vocal cords...' "  
  
He pauses here and asks, "Do you just choose not to talk?" In response, I shake my head and point at the paper in his hand. He gets the idea and continues.  
  
" '...at all. But it is very hard to pronounce most all of the letters, syllables, etc. without a tongue, so I choose to stay silent.' "  
  
I look down at the table again, but I know that he is staring at me. I can almost feel his eyes upon my back and I want to cry. But I won't. Not in front of him. I promise myself that.  
  
Suddenly he's in front of me, bent over in front of the table. He places a single hand on my check and opens my mouth with the other. His hands are so warms and soft and gentle. If I stop him, he'll only think that I'm lying, so I let him. I let him see the small, pink stub at the back of my throat. I let him turn away and hold his head in one hand. I let him.  
  
He parts his fingers from in front of his face, but I can still hardly see him. "I will not go easy on you," he murmurs, "just because of your disability. I am still going to question you as I would any other. Now, why were you spying at the door?"   
  
" 'I did not expect you to go easy on me. I don't want you to. (A/N: After writing half of my advice columns, that sounds so dirty...^_^) I was spying because I need to know what is going on.' "  
  
"I don't understand. Why would you want to know what goes on in my life? I know that you saw Hiei; you must be very confused. Is that what you mean?"  
  
" 'No. Hiei is a fire demon and of no concern to me...yet. Should he happen to get involved, then yes. It is you, Shuiic...no, Yohko Kurama that I need to deal with. It is you, Kitsune, that I am curious about.' "  
  
I feel his sudden fear rise. He knows that I can dispose him at any time. But I don't plan to, ever. I am surprised at my own daring. I thought that talking (or writing notes to) a boy would make me embarrassed and I wouldn't be able to do it. But it is simple. It's like I've known him before; like an old friend that I never knew I had.  
  
"You...how did you..." he stammers. I quickly jot down on the pad.  
  
" 'I don't know how I know, I just do. I know all about you and your past, I know about Hiei, I know about those two human boys, about Genkai. I know about the Spirit World and the Makai. I thought that you might be able to tell me how I know.' "  
  
I added the last line as a cover up. It wasn't a lie; I do think that he'll be able to help me. But I didn't want to tell him that my other reason for peering through the door was to see his beautiful face.  
  
"You had better come with me," he says after a pause. I shake my head again.  
  
" 'No. I must go home; my father is expecting me.' "  
  
"Than I'd better take you home."  
  
I shift my glance to him and I feel my face turn a slight pink. Did he really say he'd walk me home? I can't believe it! I should not get my hopes up, though. I know that he is only doing it to watch me and get some more answers. And probably to find out where I live so he can find out more information about me elsewhere.  
  
But it still thrills me.  
We enter my neighborhood about fifteen minutes later, walking swiftly. I told (or, rather, wrote) him everything that I know that he thought would be important. I even told him about he feeling I had had that morning. He seemed mildly interested, but when I told him that it had disappeared as the day ran its course, he dismissed it as a simple feeling.  
  
He looks around the street. "Quite a classy community," he says. "I suppose that your parents make a lot of money."  
  
" 'Yes and no. My mother was an author and got a lot of money for novels, but she died when I was seven. My dad doesn't work; he doesn't need to. When my mother died, her fortune was left to us.' "  
  
I do not mention the fact that no one would readily hire my father for a job anyway.  
  
I stop in front of my house. A few flowers grow in a small area where I keep them blooming, but he rest of the yard is bare and ugly. The grass is dieing and the trees wilting. A rather depressing atmosphere.  
  
"Nobara," Kurama says, as I am halfway to the door. I snap around. That is the first time he has called me by name. "Tell your father that you will be late coming from school tomorrow. You, the others and I need to have a meeting."  
  
I hesitate. I know that my father would never permit me to go if I asked him, but he can't keep me from going if I go right from school. I know that he'll be angry when I get home late, but I can try to handle it. So I nod and watch him stroll down the lane as if nothing had happened.  
  
He's so beautiful.  
  
I enter my house cautiously and remove the First-Aid Kit from its place. I might as well keep it up in my room from now on. But, as I tiptoe into the living room, I stop dead in my tracks. My father is standing at the bottom of the stairs, supporting himself a little on the railing.  
  
"Daughter," he croaks. His words are slurred and I can smell the alcohol on his breath from across the room. "You're late. Now I have no supper."  
  
I try to move, but he is already making for me. I'm frightened stiff and can't move as he smacks me across the face.  
  
"Bitch," he mutters. "Just like your mother."  
  
My eyes open and I glare at him, but nothing more. He kicks me in the knees for looking at him like that and I fall to the ground.   
  
I don't move until he has left the room and then I run to my room and lock the door.  
A/N: How odd it is that I am writing this while listening to the music of System of a Down, AC/DC and Nickleback. I really don' think that Kurama sounds anything like himself. Is that just me? Despite the fact that he sounded really serious about the questioning, I guess I let it go. Oh well. Oh yeah, and Nobara Shigo's name means "Rose after death." Kind of a weird name, but hey! I was bored...PLEASE REVIEW! 


	3. Dreaming of You

Chapter 3: Dreaming of You  
  
If only there would come a day  
When I could feel his gentle touch  
We'd be together where the roses lay  
My heart aches for him so much  
Hiei, Yuusuke, Kuwabara, Botan and KoEnma are sitting in a small conference room in the Spirit World where no one can bother them. Botan appears a bit fidgety and Kuwabara glances around at everyone with a confused look in his eyes.  
  
"Um, guys?" he says, breaking the awkward silence. "I know that there has got to be something really serious going on or else I wouldn't have been invited to come here, so would you mind sharing what's been going on?"  
  
"The baka Ningen is right for once," Hiei remarks. "Not that I enjoy agreeing with him, but, honestly. What is this all about?"  
  
"Who you calling a baka, you shrimp?!" the tall human yells, standing violently up out of his chair.   
  
"Enough," KoEnma demands, "perhaps if you two would stop fighting we could figure out why we are all here."  
  
Yuusuke's head shot up and he rubbed his eyes. (A/N: He was sleeping...) "What do you mean?" he inquirers. "You were the one to call this meeting...weren't you, KoEnma?"  
  
"Actually no," the teenage-form of the Spirit World leader sighs. "In fact, all I was asked to do about it was to obtain a place where no one would be able to bother us."  
  
Botan looks around the table cautiously and asks, "Well, if it wasn't you, sir, who called this meeting, and none of you have any idea what is going on, and I didn't call this, then the only other person who could have called it would be..."  
  
"...would be me."  
  
Botan gets cut off and all heads turn to a door that has just been opened by Kurama. He locks the door and moves to the front of the room. Under one arm he holds a school yearbook and, under the other, a small file-folder filled with loose papers. He sets them both down on the table and takes the remaining seat.  
  
"Thank you all for coming," he says. "I know it was on short notice, but it is a very important subject. You see, we have a problem. A very big problem."  
  
He pauses here and opens the yearbook to a marked page. He turns it around for them all to see a page covered with student's heads, one of which is circled.  
  
"Who is that?" Yuusuke asks. "A former flame? An admirer? An ex? A girlfriend? A toy?"   
  
"Nobara Shigo," reads Botan aloud, ignoring Yuusuke's remark. "A peculiar name. Unless I stand corrected, it means 'rose after death.' "  
  
"Strange indeed," KoEnma nods.  
  
"Different," Yuusuke says.  
  
"She's kind of cute," comments Kuwabara.  
  
"Hn," glares Hiei. "What is so special about this Ningen?"  
  
"Do you remember our argument earlier today, Hiei?" Kurama asks. "About...well, you know." (A/N: NO! Do NOT think about THAT kind of argument! I don't need people reviewing this asking where and when and why Kurama and Hiei had an argument on where their relationship is going. Geez, that last sentenced sounded like they had one in this story...O_o)  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Well, as soon as you left, I caught this girl outside the door of the science room." He points to the girl's picture again and proceeds to fill in the rest of the room with the events from when he found the girl to the present.  
  
"Weird," mutter Kuwabara and Yuusuke together.  
  
Hiei glares at the table and Botan fidgets some more.  
  
"Hold up," KoEnma says. "Rose after death...Nobara Shigo...that name sounds familiar."  
  
"It should," Kurama agrees. He opens the file and pulls out several papers full of hand written symbols. "Despite what Hiei might think, not all human were stupid. These documents are from a lost Egyptian culture that few, if any, humans have ever heard of. They were a group of Egyptian women who did not believe in the male race. They kept their believes alive by kidnapping young female children from their families and those who wandered the streets. They were much like the Amazons of Greece, except this group did not believe in violence."  
  
Yuusuke snorted. "I knew the female race was corrupt."  
  
SMACK! A large lump forms on Yuusuke's head and Botan settles back into her chair, oar in hand. "Please continue Kurama."  
  
"Uh," Kurama eyes Yuusuke twitching on the ground, "thank you, Botan. As I was saying, based on these facts, it is apparent that this group did not last too long. However, they did last long enough to gain one girl whom turned out to be a seer."  
  
"What's a seer?" Kuwabara asks.  
  
"Dimwit," mutters Hiei, a la Genkai.  
  
"A seer," KoEnma cuts in, "is someone who predicts the future. Like Nostradamus who predicted World War 2..."  
  
"...or that creepy old guy from Firestarter: Rekindled," moans Yuusuke. He rubs his head and clambers back up onto his seat.  
  
"Oh!" Kuwabara exclaims. "That guy was weird. Do you remember the part when he tries to leave Charlie McGee or whatever her name was at the..."  
  
"Thank you for your Stephen Kind expertise," Hiei says sarcastically, "but I suggest that we keep listening to Kurama's story."  
  
"Again, thank you," Kurama nods. "Now, this seer brought about the aspect of reincarnation to the group. She said that when they all died they would be reborn into a different form, whether it was two years or a thousand years later. No matter what form, the new appearance or personality of the new creature would attain some similar characteristics to the original being. This was the first recorded idea about reincarnation."  
  
Kuwabara scratches his head and furrows his eyebrows. "I still don't get it."  
  
Hiei rolls his eyes. "Stupid. Think about it!"  
  
"Rose after death," Botan murmurs.  
  
"So basically what you're saying," Yuusuke says, "is that this girl is going to die and become a rose? So what?"  
  
"I don't know if that is what is to come," Kurama says, shaking his head. "But I can tell you that this seer's name was, indeed, none other than Nobara Shigo."  
  
All eyes in the room widen and nothing is heard but silence.  
  
"She said that, despite all of the beliefs against men with women, there would come a day when one of them would break their bonds and fall in love with a deceiving man. She does not say what happens with the two specifically, except that it all works out in some way. This seer," Kurama continues, standing up and walking around the room," also predicted that there would come a time when a silver fox in disguise would seek the truth. For what, I do not know, but it is written that it would never be perceived. She said that she had a dream, a vision, rather, of a silver silhouetted figure of a body...splattered in blood."  
It is at exactly this moment that I shot awake in my bed, cold sweat running down my face. The small clock on the wall reads 3:49 AM and I can hear my father's snores from downstairs.   
  
I put my hands to my face only to pull them away again.  
  
In my hand lies a blood red rose.  
A/N: Hmmm...so the plot thickens! Sorry for the long delay; between having updating restrictions on the site and my reading spree, I haven't had a lot of time to write, post and what not. Heh, since the third Artemis Fowl book is out, nothing is getting written till that is read! (Not that it will take very long...) Anyway, so this chapter was basically just to get a background of what was going on. I plan to get the rest of this story done with two more chapters and possibly an epilogue. It's going to move really fast from now on unless I make the chapters unknowingly long. Thanks for all those reviews!  
  
Second A/N: Yeah, um, that whole Egyptian thing...I just made it up on the top of my head really fast so please don't go search on Yahoo or Google or whatever for the real Egyptian tale! I know too many people who would do that! 


	4. Deathbed

A Fox's Kiss: Love From Afar  
  
Chapter 4: Deathbed  
  
But never will it come to pass  
  
This dream within my mind  
  
I love him so, but oh! Alas!  
  
God would never be that kind  
  
I sit at my desk and stare at the clock. Only five more minutes before school ends for the day. My head rolls back to face the blackboard. Well, not really. I am actually staring straight at the back of Kurama's head. His hair falls over his shoulders regally, like silk shining in the sun.   
  
The president of his fan club (you know, the one that sits next to him?) tries to pass a few notes to him, but he pushes them away. I hear a cheerleader inside me yelling with glory. If anything to be happy about, at least I have a better chance of getting together with him than she does. Oh! I feel by face turn a slight pink at these thoughts. (A/N: Go figure...)  
  
Three more minutes.  
  
The teacher drones on about the bombing at Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War 2. Normally I would be switching my attention constantly from the professor's talk to my thoughts about Kurama. But, not today. Today it is all about Kurama.   
  
Two more minutes.  
  
I gasp silently. There is something wrong. It feels like someone put a hook around my gut and pulled...hard. It is the same feeling that I had had yesterday morning. Except, this one was so much stronger. Whatever danger I had thought would happen yesterday, would certainly happen today. I only wonder what it was.  
  
One more minute.  
  
The pain in my stomach makes me wince with pain. I wonder if I should tell Kurama about it? I told him about my feeling yesterday and he was mildly interested. Should I tell him about this one? Would he take it more seriously? Or would he just dismiss it again?  
  
BING! BING! BING! (A/N: Make fun of my bell, and I kill you!)  
  
The classroom emptied very quickly. I was able to get a moment alone with him. Of course, it was (as always) not the kind of moment that I so long for, but it was with him all the same.  
  
I walked up to him when everyone else had cleared. I had mentally decided that I would tell him about this feeling. He, of all people, deserves to know. As I was pulling out my notepad, he grabbed my arm. I looked up at him, waiting for him to tell me something. Strangely enough, all he did was hand me a folded piece of paper and told me not to open it until I was alone. This worries me.  
  
But that was over fifteen minutes ago. Now I stand by a metal bench on the outskirts of a deserted park. I told father, rather, I left a note for him, that I wouldn't be home until late and that dinner was in the refrigerator. Not that I think it will help. He will most likely hit me again when I return.  
  
My hand brushes my cheek where the bruise lies. I wore my hair down today so that I could cover it up. No one asked why the sudden change in style, but, then again, why would they? That would be unnatural. No one cares anymore about me than they did before that day when I found Kurama in the science room. It does not even vaguely surprise me that his Shuiichi-form at school will only talk to me when no one else is around. It's not because he doesn't want everyone knowing, he says, but because he doesn't want everyone getting suspicious. Not that they could. They have no idea about who he really is. But it still hurts.  
  
I place my hand lightly over my breast. The pain has subsided slightly, but it still aches with loneliness. For, even though we now have to work together professionally, I still lust for his soft touch and passionate kiss.  
  
I sit on the bench and brush away these longings. I've gotten very good at that, but they always return. I open my rucksack and submerge my hand into it. Between my First-Aid Kit and my Calculus book, I find the note. I was told to open it alone, and now I definitely am: physically and mentally.  
  
I smooth the crinkled edges on my lap and look over the words. I can tell that my eyes are widening and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. I stare aghast at the words. My hand subconsciously rushes to my mouth and I can feel hot tears burn in my eyes. I go back and read it again:  
  
"Dear Nobara,  
  
I regret to inform you that I, Kurama, shall be leaving Ningenkai to return to the Makai. My decision is final. I know that I only met you yesterday, but I still believe that it is only right to tell you as you asked for my help. I have given Botan and KoEnma a brief summary on the topic of what you wanted from me; they will most certainly help you. My apologies for not being able to give you some steps towards finding your answers, but there are affairs in the Makai that concern me deeply and I really must go. I plan to leave today, so when I give you this note it will be the last time that we shall meet. I might already be gone by the time you read this. Good luck with your search.  
  
From,  
  
Kurama"  
  
I couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true. It couldn't! He cannot leave before I tell him my feelings! The note fell from my lap and onto the concrete. My heart felt heavy and my gut felt worse than it did earlier. I drop my rucksack beside the note and bury my head in my hands.   
  
Why was my life so miserable? I often wonder if it had anything to do with my mother. She told me a lot of stories when I was little. My favorite was one about an Egyptian group of women. There was this seer who shared the same name as my mother. Nobara Shigo. She named me after her, obviously. Well, sort of. I have a middle name, but I tell it to no one. I'm always afraid people will laugh at me.   
  
It's Kei. Nobara Kei Shigo. That is my full name.   
  
*NOBARA*   
  
I raise my head and look about. My cheeks are stained with tears, and my eyes are red. But, I swear that I heard someone call my name. Am I cracking up? (A/N: That is kind of ironic that I just typed that; I'm listening to Basket Case by Green Day!) I wait a few more seconds to see if I hear the voice again, but nothing comes to me. I gather up my things and slowly walk away from the bench, still sobbing. I left the note in the small puddle underneath the bench.  
  
*NOBARA*   
  
I stop, turn and cock my head at a weird angle. There it was again! I know I heard it. And it sounds so familiar. It almost sounds like...  
  
No. It couldn't be. Mother?  
  
*NOBARA*  
  
That is it! I drop my bag and run toward the voice. It is coming from the forest on the other side of the playground. This strange new idea that my mother might actually be calling my name pushes the whole thought of Kurama from my head. I love him, I truly do, but my mother is dead.  
  
Why on earth do I hear her voice?  
  
Suddenly I halt. I am on the woodchips by the swing set. The feeling in my gut just ripped. And I don't mean it stopped; it feels like the flesh on my belly has been torn open and my insides have been spilled out onto the ground. I hunch over and clutch my stomach. In a way it hurts so much, but in another it seems like a warning. Just like it's a warm tingling trying to bring me to my senses. I fall to my knees and put my head on the ground.  
  
*NOBARA*   
  
I lift my head and there she is. My eyes widen and the pain in my stomach instantly vanishes. I stand and stare and the smoky image of the young woman (about 27) that is my mother. She looks exactly the same as she did the day that she died. Her brown hair is down and hangs long over her shoulders. A faded pink, ankle-length dress flows around her body and she looks just like an angel...of course, the fact that she has pale white wings sticking out of her back help that fact.  
  
"Mo...Mother?" I stutter. Then I gasp. I could talk! I put my hand to my mouth and insert my index finger. My tongue...is there!  
  
My mother smiled at me and then turned. When I reach out a hand to stop her, she turns and beckons me to follow. So I do.  
  
She is fast, though. I am nearly running just to keep up. Of course, as we near the forest, I see why speed is necessary.  
  
An eerie light comes out from the middle of the forest and goes straight up to the sky. I don't know how I didn't notice it before, but I certainly do now!  
  
"What...what is it?" I ask. I have to sound out the words carefully. I haven't been able to talk in seven years (A/N: She was nine when her tongue was "removed" by her father.) and I find it a little difficult to remember how.   
  
My mother faces me and puts a hand on my cheek. It is icy cold and it doesn't feel real. She leans over and kisses my forehead. I can feel the tears start to fall again. Suddenly, she rises into the air and starts to fade into nowhere.  
  
"Mother!" I call. "Don't leave me! I..." I pause, looking for the right words. "I need you."  
  
She points a slim finger toward the center of the forest where the light is coming from. Then...she disappears.  
  
I understand. She wants me to go there, to that light. And so I will go.  
  
///////////////////////////////////////// IN THE WOODS.... /////////////////////////////////////////  
  
Yuusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei stand in a circle around the two demons that were glowing bright blue. Their energy is very high; dangerously high. None of them knew where they got the energy, and they didn't care. What they did care about was defeating it.  
  
Kurama shifted his weight to his right foot. Why did these demons need to fight now? They were ruining everything! The four of them had been waiting in the woods for Nobara Shigo, the girl who somehow knew all about them.   
  
The first part of their plan had worked out beautifully. Kurama had given her the note saying that he was going to be leaving for the Makai that day. Hiei reported about ten minutes earlier that she had taken the bait and was crying her heart out. Kurama was a little worried about this. He had only known her for a little more than a day and he was already starting to worry for and about her. He almost liked her.  
  
What they HAD HOPED would happen, was that she would go someplace where she might meet someone who had told her about them. (A/N: None of them believed that Nobara just knew about them.) They would approach them and get the answers that they wanted.   
  
But it was all fouled when these two demons showed up. They would have sent Hiei to follow Nobara, but they were so strong that it would take all of them to beat the two. They had been fighting for seven minutes. (The demons had showed up right after Hiei had reported back to Yuusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama.)   
  
It was indeed a tough battle. Yuusuke had a limp leg and he struggled to stand. Kuwabara (who is only human) tired quickly and he got hit with an energy blast in the ribs. Hiei had gotten some of his power drained from him by one of the monsters and Kurama was cut across the stomach. (A/N: Is it just me, or does it seem that that is the first place that Kurama is cut EVERY fight?)  
  
"And so the Reiki Tankai are to be defeated," said the taller of the two opponents. "How long we have waited for this day!"  
  
The second demon nodded. "Too true, brother. But what a disappointment! I was expecting more from the most feared team in the demon world."  
  
They smiled and then lunged at Yuusuke and Hiei.  
  
//////////////////// 3/4 OF THE WAY INTO THE FOREST /////////////////////////////  
  
I run through the woods with all of my speed. I am almost there; I know it! I have to see what this light is and whom the energy that I am feeling is coming from. I must know these things and so much more.  
  
And yet, that feeling in my gut has returned. Not to strong, but it is there. It's almost as if it is toying with me. Like it is waiting for something.  
  
But what does it mean?  
  
//////////////////////////// BACK TO THE FIGHT /////////////////////////////////////  
  
Yuusuke and Hiei try to dodge the blows, but they don't get out quickly enough. A club that the second monster carries crushes Yuusuke's bad leg and Hiei is hit in the back of the head with an energy blast. Kuwabara takes the moment in which the two villains laugh with glee to get out his Spirit Sword.  
  
"Spirit Sword!" he yells. He strikes one of the demons in the back, but with no effect. It bounces off of the monsters back and he turns. The beast whips around his arm and nails the Ningen in the gut. Kuwabara flies back and hits a tree. (A/N: OW!)  
  
"Oh that's it!" says Yuusuke. He raises his hand and gets ready to fire his Spirit Gun on the demon that hit his friend, not seeing the second demon sneak up behind him. But Kurama does.  
  
"Rose Whip!" he hollers, throwing himself towards the sneaking creature.   
  
"Hah!" yells the demon. He grabs the whip with his hand and pulls hard. Kurama flies forward (unable to catch his balance) and lands on his back.   
  
"Ah!" he cries. (A/N: Well, not tearing cries, but you know what I mean.) As he struggles to rise, and eventually does. He sees Kuwabara almost unable to move (yet still able to see) blinking against the tree he was thrown against. Hiei and Yuusuke are trying to attack the demons, but with little success. /They're too powerful,/ Kurama thought to himself. /I don't know how we're going to beat them.../  
  
His thoughts are cut off when one of the demons fires a fatal energy ball (A/N: Kind of like Goku's Kamehameha! Or however you want to spell that...) straight at him!  
  
///////////////////// BACK TO WHATEVER NOBARA IS DOING ///////////////////////  
  
I see the entrance to the clearing, and the origin of the light. It is coming from two demons that are attacking...someone, I can't see whom.  
  
But, as I near the clearing, I can. Hiei and Yuusuke are recklessly fighting them and Kuwabara is down by a tree, barely able to keep his head up. Then I see him. He's struggling to stand up and I can see the blood that is staining his clothes.   
  
I can also see the ball of light that is heading straight for him.  
  
So I run...  
  
//////////////////////////// SAME PLACE, DIFFERENT P.O.V. /////////////////////////////   
  
As Kurama watches his end draw nearer, he sees movement flicker out of the corner of his eye. He turns his head toward it and spies none other than Nobara Shigo rushing into the clearing.   
  
He understands what is happening.  
  
"Nobara," he yells, "no!"  
  
But he is too late. His jaw drops and he catches his breath as he sees a head with a brown braid in front of his face. He gasps as a girl in a sweater and knee-length skirt falls into his arms.   
  
He screams a frightfully loud, "NO!" as her chest falters to rise.  
  
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
  
A/N: Sorry about the long wait. I lost the idea of the story for a while, and I found it again. Actually, I was (and am) just really bored because I can do basically nothing with my broken ankle. Oh well. Hmm.... this chapter is REALLY long. I guess I waited to long to write it; I have to many ideas. It's a cliffhanger, ha! If you guys out there could review, I'd love you and give you lots of hugs. Well, um, you get the point. Also, I need some reviews/ideas for my Anime advice columns and my HP story Killing Mrs. Norris, so if you could read and review those as well, I'd love you even more. Thanks! (Hey, flames are welcome now! Of course, only because they are so fun to laugh at!) 


	5. Love of a Kitsune

A Fox's Kiss: Love From Afar  
  
Chapter 5: Love of a Kitsune  
  
So I'll just watch him from afar  
  
Waiting for eternal bliss  
  
And I will wish on all the stars  
  
For just one fox's kiss  
  
***  
  
PREVIOUSLY ON A FOX'S KISS: LOVE FROM AFAR...  
  
As Kurama watches his end draw nearer, he sees movement flicker out of the corner of his eye. He turns his head toward it and spies none other than Nobara Shigo rushing into the clearing.   
  
He understands what is happening.  
  
"Nobara," he yells, "no!"  
  
But he is too late. His jaw drops and he catches his breath as he sees a head with a brown braid in front of his face. He gasps as a girl in a sweater and knee-length skirt falls into his arms.   
  
He screams a frightfully loud, "NO!" as her chest falters to rise.  
  
/////////////////////////////////////////////////IN THE FOREST///////////////////////////////////////////////////  
  
Kurama looks at the pale girl in his arms. Her chest rises ever so slowly and her breathing is coming out in short gasps. It was as if all of the action that had been going around him froze. Nobody, not even the two villains, were moving. They were all of them staring at the human-form of the demon and the dying human girl in his arms.  
  
"N...Nobara," he whispers, "y...you saved my life." It was a statement, not a question.  
  
Her eyelids flicker and a small smile falls on her face. "Kurama..." she began.  
  
Kurama's eyes widen. "You...you can talk!"  
  
She gave a short laugh, immediately followed by a cough. They could all see the thin trickle of blood that started to run down the side of her mouth. "Strange, isn't it? I think my mother gave my tongue back to me." She opens her mouth to show him her pink tongue resting behind her blood stained teeth.  
  
Kurama gapes at her for a moment. He blushes and then brushes the hair (come loose from her braid) out of her face. "You shouldn't talk, Nobara. You need to save your strength for when we finish beating these guys."  
  
This brought a few good chuckles from the monsters, which were currently strangling a limp Hiei and cornering Yuusuke.  
  
Nobara's head rolls from side to side in a confirmed "no." "You know as well as I do that I'm as good as dead."  
  
"Don't say that!" says Kurama. "You're going to be just fine..."  
  
"Kurama..." starts Nobara. He looks at her white face and her lips, which were a vague blue in color. ""I...I love you."  
  
/There,/ she thinks to herself, /I've said it. Now I can die in peace./  
  
"Goodbye, Kurama," she gasps.  
  
/Goodbye, my love,/ she thinks.  
  
And then she was gone.  
  
  
  
//////////////////////////////////A BREAK BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO FIT///////////////////////////////  
  
Kurama is kneeling on the ground with a lifeless body in his arms. He stares at her, not realizing it, for a few moments before he closes his eyes...and all he can see is her face. He envisions her once warm lips upon his and wonders if that is what she had been thinking about him all this time. A salty tear rolls slowly down his cheek.  
  
/A tear...?/ he thinks. /Such an alien feeling that is in me. It's like what I feel towards my Shiori, except...different. Could this finally be the love that I have been searching for?/  
  
His eyes open and a few more tears appear. He feels himself letting go of Nobara's body and watches as it slides from his hands and onto the forest floor. He couldn't believe that she was actually gone. He'd known her for, what, 30 hours at most? And yet, it had felt like a lifetime. Like it all had been meant to be...even her death.  
  
"Um," Yuusuke begins, "I hate to break you away from your thoughts, buddy. I mean, I know dead girlfriends are hard and all, but could you off us a bit of help over here?"  
  
And so they did. Kuwabara and Hiei lie next to each other on the ground groaning (A/N: Much to both of their displeasure, I'm sure.) while Yuusuke was firing blasts of his Spirit Gun at the two advancing demons. His energy blasts have no effect, however, which makes for an even nastier situation.  
  
Kurama's fists clenched into two, tight balls and he stood up ever so dramatically. The two demons had their backs to him, preventing them from seeing him, but Yuusuke could see what was happening.   
  
He turns back towards his attackers. He smiles and then says, "You guys are so toast."  
  
The demons laugh and get ready to give the final blow to the spirit detective's head when they feel a tremendous energy behind them.   
  
"Huh?" they both say, stupidly. They turn and Yuusuke grabs his friends from their place on the ground and gets away from the felons as fast as he could. And with good reason.  
  
For, what the two demons saw as they turned, was a sight that would stay with them until they died, which would apparently be not very long. A brilliant white light flashes from the place where their supposedly dead victim had been struck. (A/N: The demons are too prideful to check and make sure that their prey is dead after they hit it, so, after they fired the blast, they didn't even bother to look and see if it had hit its target.)  
  
Both of their hands go to their eyes and one of them yells, "What the hell is that?"   
  
The red-haired schoolboy that had been behind them was there no longer. In place of him was a tall (A/N: And handsome, and sexy, and...) Kitsune. His silver hair goes down to his waist and his long fingernails are digging into the palms of his hands so hard that they begin to bleed. His eyes slowly open and his head turns to face the ones that killed Nobara.  
  
The glare that he gives them is enough to drive the sanest man mad.  
  
The smaller of the two steps back and a kind of gasping noise is heard coming from his throat. "Who...who the hell are...are you?" he stammers, clearly frightened.  
  
The fox demon sneered at them and smoothly replies, "I'm everything you've ever feared in an enemy. I am that cynical thing that haunts you in your dreams." He's walking towards the demons, his hands still clenched, and his mouth set in a cold, dead line. "I am a demon beyond anything which you have already faced. I am the thing that your mamma told you to stay away from. I am a S-class demon that is loved by few and feared by all. I am Youko Kurama." He stops about two yards away from his opponents and his head shoots up to stare them straight in the eyes. "And I am your eradicator."   
  
As if he'd been anticipating this moment forever, he lunges at the demons thrashing his claws wildly, but skillfully. He manages to get both of them drenched in each other's blood before landing back on his feet. They aren't dead yet, of course, but certainly stunned at their new opponents strength, speed and agility.  
  
"You..." yells the taller one, angrily. He pulls out a large club and starts running madly at Youko Kurama. The kitsune laughs aloud and dodges easily. As the foe tries to figure out what just happened, he swings his clawed hand down hard onto his back. So hard, in fact, that his hand goes THROUGH the demon's flesh!  
  
The demon is immediately torn in two. He looks down at his severed body and raises his hands to his eyes. Thousands of flecks of blood dot them and he looks up at the laughing kitsune. He opens his mouth as if to say something, but all that comes out is a rush of blood. He collapses dead on the ground. (A/N: I know that you're thinking, "He was cut in half! How was he able to live that long?!" Well, here's my explanation: ever cut a cockroach in half?)  
  
The remaining demon gapes at the silver fox. He is backing away slowly from the tall figure, only to stumble over a tree root. The kitsune approaches him, still laughing.  
  
"Did you really think you could beat me?" he laughs. "You scum, you are weak. You never deserved to walk the Makai, let alone Ningenkai!" He stopped on the demon's foot, crushing it. The demon winces in pain, too frightened to do anything. The sound of bone can be heard breaking and cracking.   
  
POP!  
  
The joint has come out of its socket.  
  
The demon raises his head in a scream. Youko Kurama continues to laugh and he lifts his right hand...the hand that chopped the other enemy into two. The blood is still wet and warm and it drips radically off of his pale skin. He sticks out his long red tongue and licks some of it off.  
  
"Garbage," he mutters to the sobbing demon. "You'll take on any number of opponents as long as they are weaker than you, is that it? But as soon as a real fighter makes his way into the arena, you cry like a child!" The kitsune's stomps down hard onto the demon's other foot.  
  
"Ah!" moans the demon. Blood is flowing in a quick stream out of his broken feet and a pond of red soon surrounds the two enemies.   
  
"Your life was never worth living," whispers Youko Kurama. He bends over the quivering demon and rips off its head.  
  
//////////AGAIN, THIS SEEMS TO BE A NICE PLACE TO INSERT A BREAK//////////   
  
Yuusuke stares at the scene before him. The two demons that they had been fighting earlier now lay dead in large puddles of blood. Kurama, now gone youkai, strolls casually over to Nobara's body, which is in danger of turning red. Youko Kurama's white attire is splattered with and stained with the blood of his adversaries. He bends over the dead girl and lifts her up into his strong arms.   
  
Her head rests in-between Youko Kurama's elbow and shoulder and her hair (fallen out of the braid altogether) looks like a silk blanket swaying gently as he walks. Her legs dangle from his arms and a hole can be seen in the middle of her sweater. What was once white bra is visible charred in that hole and a pendant, a silver rose pendant, rests on it.  
  
As the kitsune walks, tears begin to form in his eyes. Streaks of red materialize in his silver hair and his claws return to a normal sized fingernail. His clothes are now a pink school uniform instead of a white fighters dress. (A/N: I mean dress as in clothes, not as in prom dress!) His eyes lose their golden color and become an emerald green.   
  
Youko Kurama has disappeared and the old Kurama (a.k.a. Shuiichi Minamino) now stands in his place.  
  
As the tears fall down his cheeks, he looks at Yuusuke. Hiei and Kuwabara are beginning to get the feeling back in their legs and take a stab at standing. After several tries, they are able to and they come up behind the Spirit Detective. All three of them stare at Kurama and the body held affectionately in his arms.  
  
"Kurama..." begins Yuusuke.  
  
"Don't say anything," interrupts Kurama. His voice is full of anger, sorrow and pain. And, above all else, a hint of love. But he manages to maintain the sound of calmness that is always there at the same time. "It's time to leave. We've outstayed our welcome."  
  
He walks away, ignoring the look on his three friends' faces. Hiei closes his eyes for about 45 seconds, opens them again, and follows Kurama. Kuwabara shrugs and trails the two youkai.   
  
Before he goes, Yuusuke glances at the scene in the clearing. Blood cakes the ground and the process of carcasses rotting begins. He sighs and looks up toward the sky.   
  
"And so the predictions were true," he breaths. "Whatcha' know..."  
  
His voice trails off and he makes his way out of the forest.  
  
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
  
A/N: I think that my story has improved as each chapter as been written. Did anyone realize that I used the word "demon" in referral to the evil dudes and youkai in referral to Kurama and Hiei? I might have switched it once, but I tried not to so I (and you) wouldn't get confuzzled. Oh yeah, and don't ask about where his rose whip went or what Nobara's father is going to do or any other questions that come to your head...everything will be explained in the Epilogue! I can just hear you all thinking, "An epilogue? YES!" No, not really. Oh, and, even more good news that you probably won't give two shits about! Turns out, my ankle is not broken, merely sprained! YAY! I can walk again without crutches. Oh, happy day! Anyway, reviews are nice and e-mails are lovely. I'll post (well, I'll WRITE) the epilogue as soon as I can, so stay tuned for the conclusion. Peace out. (Did I just say 'peace out'? *blink, blink*) 


	6. Epilogue: Forever By Your Side

A Fox's Kiss: Love From Afar  
  
Epilogue: Forever By Your Side  
  
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
  
A Fox's Kiss: The Dictionary That Is Not In Alphabetical Order  
  
Love - an emotion or feeling that binds two people together mentally and (sometimes) physically; people marry when in love and normally grow old together  
  
True Love - an emotion or feeling that holds two peoples souls through death until forever; supposedly only found in fairy tales, one out of every billion couples share it  
  
Death - a state in which a person's body is rendered useless; their spirit goes to heaven or hell or is left to wander the earth  
  
Reincarnation - a spirit who has previously been dead who is reborn into another body or form  
  
Roses - never die  
  
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
  
Yuusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Botan and the one and only Kurama walk along the sidewalk. The air is fresh and the grass green: a chipper sight. Of course, this scenery does no justice in reflecting any of his or her current states.   
  
It has been three days since the funeral of one Nobara Shigo. Nobara was a beautiful girl who didn't know it. She had been abused by her father and had landed herself into a great deal of mess with the five. She had been quiet (due to the fact that she had had no tongue) and was unknown to most of the school that she attended. In fact, she was unknown basically everywhere. This explains why there were only a scarce few at her funeral, which all of them had attended.  
  
It all had hit Kurama the hardest. Even though he had only known her for about two days, he had fallen in love with her. Not any sort of love, but true love. (A/N: Make reference to my small dictionary above...that's what it's there for.) And it had been apparent that Nobara had fallen hook, line and sinker ever since she had seen him on the first day of junior high.   
  
But it is all much more complicated than that. Nobara Shigo was no ordinary girl. She had somehow known everything about Kurama and his friends but almost nothing about herself. It is thought that she was the reincarnation of one Nobara Shigo from Ancient Egyptian times. The first Nobara had been a seer and had predicted all events that led up till her reincarnations early death.   
  
Or, was this really her reincarnation?  
  
Botan tries to strike up some conversation with the group. "So..." she says. "There haven't been any more assignments lately. What do you all plan to do in your rare spare time?"  
  
No one answers. Kurama shuffles slowly with his hands in his pockets and his head down. Hiei walks next to him with his arms crossed, silent. Yuusuke and Kuwabara just stare off into space. They are all too busy moping and thinking to have even heard her.  
  
And then Kurama stops.  
  
The others continue to walk for a few steps before realizing that their companion has become fixed to the spot. They all turn and face him.  
  
"What is it?" asks Botan, almost glad that there will be less silence now.  
  
Kurama looks at her. Then he looks at the rest of them. Then he looks at the house that he is standing in front of. The grass here is brown and yellow, the house is large but neglected and some paint is peeling away. It is all an ugly sight...except for one small garden. There are several roses planted on a small patch of grass. They are patterned in a miniature circle and all of them are a deep, luscious red. Like blood.  
  
Hiei glances from the house to Kurama's face. He sees a single tear dance down his cheek and fall to the pavement. "It's her house, isn't it," he says quietly. It is more of a statement rather than a question.  
  
Yuusuke shrugs and says, "Um, maybe it would be better if we kept walking..."  
  
"No," Kurama says firmly. All eyes turn to him as he walks up to the small patch of color on the front lawn. "This is...was her garden," he sighs. He kneels next to the roses and runs his finger down one of the petals, careful not to rip it. "She told me it was when I walked her home."  
  
Kuwabara and Yuusuke glance at each other. Kurama's finger continues down the rest of the bud, down one of the leaves and onto the stem. His hand pulls back from one of the thorns, which has just cut him. A small ring of blood grows wider on his index finger and it soon breaks and runs down his hand onto the ground. A splash of red clings to the thorn that cut him like two lovers locked in each other's embrace.  
  
Hiei comes up behind the fox. "I'm sorry," he whispers.  
  
Botan joins him. "We all are," she adds. "But what's done is done. There is nothing we can do."  
  
But Kurama doesn't seem to hear either of them. He just stares at the spot on his hand that is bleeding. He squeezes it so more red begins to flow around his finger. It seems to enthrall him as if nothing else exists in the world.   
  
He extends his arm to the center of the circle where he squeezes his finger once more. Blood gushes out and lands on the grass, which it dyes quickly. Kurama furrows his brow, as though he is in thought.  
  
"Nobara Shigo," he mutters. "Nobara Shigo. Nobara Kei Shigo."  
  
"Kei?" questions Kuwabara. "Where did the Kei come from?"  
  
Kurama gives a short half smile, which fades away almost immediately. "Kei is Nobara's middle name, Kuwabara," he says after a pause. "When the young priest at her wake read off her name, he read 'Nobara Kei Shigo' not 'Nobara Shigo.' Kei is merely an extent on her name...as well as valuable information." Again, a smile plays upon the kitsune's lips. It is as if he knows something that the rest of them do not.  
  
"Kei..." says Yuusuke, thoughtfully. "That's an odd name."  
  
Hiei nods in agreement, a rare sight. "If I am correct, which I'm sure I am, 'Kei' means 'whip.'"  
  
Kurama closes his eyes and finally a broad smile breaks through his charming face. "Indeed it does, Hiei."  
  
Before anyone can put two and two together, Kurama stands and turns to face Botan. His face appears urgent and it is obvious that he has gone back to business again.  
  
"Botan," he starts, "did you or didn't you guide Nobara to the Spirit World?"  
  
"Um..." Botan thinks for a moment. "Now that you mention it, no. I never did!"  
  
Kurama appears more eager at this news. "And have you heard any word of her spirit wandering Ningenkai?"  
  
"No," she says again. And then it dawns on her. "Do you think..."  
  
"...that the prophecy has come true?" Kurama finishes for her. "Yes. But there is more to it than that. So much more." He returns to his spot kneeling beside the clique of roses.  
  
Kuwabara walks up to the grassy area and sits down beside Kurama. "So," he says, "are one of these roses, like, Nobara?"  
  
Yuusuke joins them. "None of them look special to me. They just look like ordinary roses to me."  
  
"The girl's spirit is not in any of those flowers," Hiei informs them. He has walked up to the group, but has not sat down or knelt like the rest of them.  
  
"What do you mean, shrimp?" Kuwabara asks. "If she's gonna be reincarnated, where better than your own front yard?"  
  
"Stupid baka," mutters the fire demon. "Think about it. Nobara Kei Shigo. Nobara KEI Shigo."  
  
The two humans and the Spirit Guide freeze. They all understand now.   
  
Yuusuke's eyes widen, Kuwabara's mouth drops open slightly and Botan whispers, "Nobara Kei Shigo. Rose Whip After Death."  
  
Yuusuke looks at Kurama. "You never did get your Rose Whip back after that fight, did you, Kurama?"  
  
Kurama shakes his head. "Normally it wouldn't have mattered. My Rose Whip is like your Spirit Gun: a weapon manipulated by my will and formed by my energy. If I ever lose it during battle, it would just vanish and be in my retention whenever I choose. I should be able to form it now." He puts a hand to his head and keeps it there for about half a minute. When he pulls it back it is empty.  
  
"Where is it?" Kuwabara asks.  
  
"I do not know," Kurama sighs. "Ever since that fight in the forest, it has been lost to me. I didn't understand why it was gone or what it meant...until the wake." He pauses and suddenly his eyes widen. He nods and smiles. "Look."  
  
Everyone turns to face the center of the circle of roses. They all now see why Kurama was smiling.   
  
Poking through the soft grass is a green bud. It is small, but growing rapidly. First it is a few inches tall, its thorns beginning to form. Then it grows a few more inches, its leaves poking out from in-between the thorns. And another few inches, and another until white pokes through the bud at the top.  
  
As they all stare at the growing flower, the bud opens slowly and dramatically to display a collection of soft, silky white petals. A deep red color is dotted every now and then around it. Just like Kurama's blood was splattered on the ground where the new rose grew.  
  
"It's...it's beautiful!" exclaims Botan.  
  
"It came from nowhere!" yells Yuusuke, falling backwards.  
  
"It possesses a tremendous amount of some sort of energy," bemuses Hiei.  
  
"I dunno," says Kuwabara, scratching his head. "Those red things are kind of like blood. Kinda' freaky if you ask me."  
  
Kurama just smiles and he reaches a hand down to the base of its stem. He bends the stem easily and it snaps off. And then it disappears.  
  
"Whoa..." says Yuusuke. Kurama stands up and walks to the middle of the neglected lawn. He reaches his hand to the back of his head and flips his hair. In his hand is the white rose.   
  
"Rose Whip!" he shouts and, as he brings his arm down to his side, a green whip with silver thorns is in his hand.   
  
"Such power," says Kurama. He examines it carefully and then makes it vanish, only to remove the white rose from his hair once more. He puts it in his shirt pocket and smiles.   
  
"Nobara..." he breathes. Kurama looks up towards the sky and grins at the sun. "I'll be forever by your side, my love. Forever..."  
  
FINIS  
  
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A/N: AND SO IT ENDS! Um...in case you don't speak French, "finis" means end. Well, watcha' think? Hope you liked it! My god...this is the first story that I have ever completed! WOW! How did you guys like my dictionary? I would have put it in alphabetical order, but I wanted Roses last and I didn't want Death first. Oh well. If you guys have any ideas for a story or suggestions or whatever, put them in a review or e-mail them to me. Also, I am considering doing a collaboration story with someone, so if anyone is interested give me a ring. Well, an e-mail since you don't know and I'm not going to tell you my telephone number. Well...err, you get the idea. Of course, I have no idea what we could do for a story if I write in a partnership, but I've never done a story with someone else and it just seems kind of cool. Well, review this if you would and maybe some of my other stories? I'd really like you to! (Maybe that's just because I am review and e-mail hungry. Whatever.) So, tell me your thoughts: if you liked this, if you didn't, why, what I could do to make it better, any random thoughts/suggestions, etc. Love ya'! 


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